Cody Franson expected all along that he’d sign with the Blackhawks once Marian Hossa’s situation was squared away — after all, it’s a big reason he turned down actual contract offers from other teams to come to Chicago on a player-tryout agreement.
But there was still a sense of relief when he finally signed a one-year, $1-million contract on Wednesday.
“It definitely allows you to take a bit of a deeper breath,” Franson said. “Nice to have that done, out of the way, and be able to just focus on the regular season and getting off on the right foot here.”
Franson said it’s been a “smooth transition” to the Hawks. It helps that he played with Jonathan Toews in the World Juniors, and knows Brent Seabrook and Jordin Tootoo from summers back home in Kelowna, British Columbia.
“Right away, when I got to town, those guys showed me around a little bit, helped me start to feel a little more comfortable around here and that goes a long way,” Franson said. “It’s been an easy transition and now I’m in that place where you feel comfortable and you can start speaking up a little more, like you’re part of the team.
Franson’s signing was announced Wednesday morning shortly after the Hawks officially — and finally — put Hossa on long-term injured reserve. Hossa will sit out the entire season — and likely the other three years remaining on his contract — because of a skin condition and the side effects of the medication he has been taking for it.
The Hawks completed their cap maneuvering by recalling defenseman Gustav Forsling and forward Alex DeBrincat, who were assigned to Rockford on Tuesday in a paper-only transaction. According to capfriendly.com, the Hawks now have about $2.4 million to play with.
Tootoo on LTIR
Jordin Tootoo cleared waivers on Tuesday, but was put on LTIR instead of being sent to Rockford. Joel Quenneville said Tootoo suffered an upper-body injury during camp but didn’t get into specifics. He said it’s possible that Tootoo returns this season.
Rockford shuffle
The Hawks traded Kyle Baun to the Montreal Canadiens for forward Andreas Martinsen in a minor-league deal. Martinsen, who had seven goals and 11 assists in 119 games with the Avalanche and Canadiens the last two seasons, will report to Rockford. Baun, originally signed out of Colgate in March of 2015, appeared in five games with the Hawks.
Email: mlazerus@suntimes.com
Twitter: @marklazerus
